Device loss tops travellers’ technology concerns, survey finds
Travellers increasingly rely on smartphones to store essential trip information and access support, creating additional challenges for insurers and assistance providers when devices go missing
Losing a smartphone, laptop, or other device is the leading technology concern for international travellers surveyed by Global Rescue, highlighting how much essential trip information now depends on a single device.
Twenty-one per cent of respondents to the company’s Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey selected device loss or theft as their biggest travel technology fear. Losing a phone can also mean losing immediate access to boarding passes, bookings, maps, banking services, and the codes needed to sign in to accounts.
The findings showed differences between respondents based in the US and those elsewhere. Among US respondents, 14% identified unsafe public Wi-Fi or compromised public charging points as their main concern, compared with 1% of non-US respondents.
Non-US respondents were more likely to worry about being unable to access banking or work systems from a foreign IP address. Twelve per cent were concerned about device confiscation or digital searches at borders, compared with 8% of US respondents. Difficulty receiving two-factor authentication text messages overseas was cited by 11% of non-US respondents and 6% of US respondents.
The survey records travellers’ stated concerns, rather than the frequency of device theft, account lockouts, or other technology problems. For travel insurers and assistance providers, it points to a practical complication when a traveller needs help abroad: the device used to contact a provider may also hold the policy details and identity checks needed to access support.